One of the biggest child stars of the ’90s made a dazzling return to the Cannes Film Festival — nearly 32 years after casting a spell on audiences in Hocus Pocus.
Now 43, the actress hit the red carpet in a sleek black tuxedo adorned with pearl drops—a grown-up look that couldn’t be further from the spunky eight-year-old who once outwitted the Sanderson witches in Disney’s 1993 hit starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy.
While she scored major roles in Patriot Games, Now and Then opposite Demi Moore, and American Beauty, this week she turned heads on the Cannes red carpet alongside Kristen Stewart, her director in the new indie film The Chronology of Water.
And let’s not forget her critically acclaimed turn in Ghost World with Scarlett Johansson, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
Die-hard fans might also remember she was once in the running to play Claudia in 1994’s Interview with the Vampire — a role that eventually went to Kirsten Dunst.
So… who is she?
One of the biggest child stars of the ’90s made a dazzling return to the Cannes Film Festival — nearly 32 years after casting a spell on audiences in Hocus Pocus
Now 43, the actress hit the red carpet in a sleek black tuxedo adorned with pearl drops—a grown-up look that couldn’t be further from the spunky eight-year-old who once outwitted the Sanderson witches in Disney’s 1993 hit Hocus Pocus
While she scored major roles in Patriot Games, Now and Then opposite Demi Moore , and American Beauty, this week she turned heads on the Cannes red carpet alongside Kristen Stewart, her director in the new indie film The Chronology of Water
If you guessed Thora Birch, you nailed it!
The actress commanded attention on the red carpet in her chic ensemble, posing like a seasoned pro alongside Stewart, actress Imogen Poots, musician Kim Gordon, and Stewart’s wife, Dylan Meyer.
The occasion marked Stewart’s feature directorial debut with The Chronology of Water, an adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s acclaimed 2011 memoir.
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Poots and Birch lead the cast, starring alongside Jim Belushi and Earl Cave in the intimate film.
Back in January, Thora opened up about nearly being cast alongside Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire.
‘I took a number of meetings with the director,’ Birch told People.
But at just 12 years old, she felt unprepared to portray an adult woman trapped in a child’s body.
‘At the time, I was still quite innocent in a lot of ways,’ Birch recalled. ‘I grew up fast being a child actor, but there were still parts of that character and things that were required of her that I still felt were too adult, or I just didn’t connect up with it.
If you guessed Thora Birch, you nailed it; (seen in 2001)
Scheduling conflicts kept Birch from reprising her role in 2022’s Hocus Pocus 2; pictured with Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Bette Midler
Over the years, Birch’s films have come to define key moments in millennial nostalgia—from childhood favorites like All I Want for Christmas and Hocus Pocus to teen staples like American Beauty and Ghost World; pictured in 1993 with Omri Kats and Vinessa Shaw
Mena Suvari, Wes Bentley and Birch in 1999’s American Beauty
Gaby Hoffman, Demi Moore, Birch, Melanie Griffith, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Rita Wilson, Rosie O’Donnell and Christina Ricci in 1995’s Now and Then
‘I had no frame of personal reference for those deeper, more complex emotions that that character had to embody. So, for me, it was just like, “This is a little icky.”‘
Still, she added, ‘I did love it. I’m a huge fan of the movie and the show as well.’
So when Thora made her Mayfair Witches debut in the second episode of the AMC series’ second season, it wasn’t her first brush with Rice’s pulpy supernatural world—just the first time she’s officially stepped into it.
Of course, all the witchy talk starts with Hocus Pocus — a film Birch still looks back on fondly, even though scheduling conflicts kept her from reprising her role in 2022’s Hocus Pocus 2.
Over the years, Birch’s films have come to define key moments in millennial nostalgia—from childhood favorites like All I Want for Christmas and Hocus Pocus to teen staples like American Beauty and Ghost World.
She had chalked up that lasting impact to the unified pop culture of the pre-streaming era, when everyone was watching the same few things at the same time.
‘We were all watching the same stuff, so we all had a similar frame of reference,’ she told People.
‘As far as the arc of my personal career, I just think like with a lot of people who started out so young, there’s a mirroring in your professional and personal lives.
The actress commanded attention on the red carpet in her chic ensemble
Birch, Imogen Poots, Kristen Stewart and Kim Gordon pose during during The Chronology of Water photocall at Cannes
‘So, all those points that you mentioned were things that I was, in real time, experiencing and I did grow up in front of the camera.’
Lately, Birch has been stepping back into the spotlight on her own terms—dabbling in directing, taking on character roles in television, and embracing indie projects that speak to her.
After years largely out of the public eye, it’s a welcome sight to see her back on a major red carpet, reclaiming the kind of attention she once commanded so effortlessly.
At Cannes, it wasn’t just a throwback moment—it was a reminder that Thora Birch is still very much in the game.